Have you been trying
to lose weight all summer...and gained weight instead? Have you
been trying to
lose weight for months or even years and only seen you weight go up instead of
down? Sometimes kids and teens try to lose weight by dieting. Some diets set
people up for failure. Ask yourself the following questions. If you answer yes
to any or all of them, your diet is keeping you from your goals!

Do you try every fad
diet that comes your way? Maybe you have tried the Low Carb Diet, the Low Fat
Diet, the Cabbage Soup Diet, and the Fruit & Veggie Diet. None of them worked,
so now you are trying the Tuna Diet.

Fad diets set up
people to fail. Instead of tricking your body to lose fat, the diet is tricking
you into a gimmick. Fad diets come and go for a reason. They don't work! They
don't make our bodies healthier! Here at Blubberbusters,
we encourage healthy eating and balance of all foods. To find out more about fad
diets,
click here.

Do you starve
yourself all morning and afternoon to save your calories for later?

Many kids and teens
skip breakfast and lunch thinking it will help them lose weight. Skipping meals
makes it harder physically to lose weight. It puts our bodies in something
called a "starvation mode." Also, not eating all day long, or even "saving" your
calories for later makes many kids and teens binge later on. No matter what is
going on, try to eat within the first hour of being awake and then a meal in the
middle of the day. Then, eat dinner and healthy snacks between meals if you need
them.

Do you see foods as
only "good" and "bad" in your diet? When you eat "good" foods for a certain
amount of time, do you deserve a treat? Sometimes that treat ends up being a big
binge of the "bad" food. Then, the binge makes you feel
guilty. To make up for the binge, you allow yourself only "good" food. The cycle
begins again.

Food is not a treat.
Many kids and teens (and even adults) group food as either "good" or "bad." In
reality all food is good. Trying to change how you think about food may help you
eat healthier. When kids and teens learn that all foods are good, they stop
binging. They stop feeling guilty about certain "bad" foods. This makes them not
want as much of it. Remember, food is not a "treat." Instead, treat yourself
with a new CD, new clothes, or exercise equipment when you are happy with
yourself!